Automatic organ and the like.



C. E. HALDEMAN.

AUTOMATIC ORGAN AND THE LIKE..

C. E. HALUEMAN. T

AUTOMATIC ORGAN AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1913.

Patented Aug. 28, 119V?.

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KA/W A CLARENCE E. HALDEMAN, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC ORGAN AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented f`uo. 28, 1917.

Application filed September 15, 1913. Serial No. 789,905.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known ythat I, CLARENCE E. HALDE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alhambra, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automatic Organ and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby an instrument such for instance as a double key-bank or two-manual pipe organ can be operated with the effect of a solo on one sound producing apparatus, as the swell organ, and an accompaniment on another sound-producing apparatus as the great organ, or vice versa, automaticallyY with a single perforated music sheet, or like appliance.

Thisinvention makes use of the fact that there seldom occurs vin a musical. composition the simultaneous sounding of notes that are immediately next to each other in the scale, and the invention is basic and pioneer in that it takes advantage of this fact for solo and accompaniment playing on two organs, and is embodied in an automatic player for such musical instruments as have two or more sets of sound-producers as the pipes of the great organ on the one hand and those of the swell organ on the other hand; said player comprising automatic means for operating the sound-producers of said sets respectively, and switch-over means whereby the production of a certain sound by one of said sets will be effected by that mechanism of the player which is normally arranged to produce selected notes in the musical scale, and which withoutv such switchover means would produce a discord whenever two successive semi-tones are simultaneously sounded, such a discord, of course, not being intended by the musical composition. By means of the switch-over means the capacity of the player mechanism is increased, so that the required note is produced simultaneously by bot-h sets of sound-A producers and this is accomplished with mechanism usually employed for operating` only the sound-producers of one set. f

This invention as set forth in the appended claims lis regarded as a broadly new and pioneer invention in this art and may be .variously constructed and includes novel apparatus, combinations and parts which will be more particularly set forth in the sub- Joined detail description.

Although for the purpose of conciseness and clearness my invention is hereinafter shown and described as applied to a double key -bank or two-manual organ, it is understood that it is equally applicable to a prurality of musical instruments having two or more than two banks of keys.

In such instruments, which are usually arranged to effect the solo upon one instrument and the accompaniment upon another, this invention aims at the greatest convenience and the avoidance of confusion and complication by using for the solo playing or the accompaniment those actions which ordinarily produce the semitones next above or next below the notes of the air that is played. lt is at present considered preferable to use, for the accompaniment, those primary actions which are next below the primary actions playing the notes of the air.

In order to produce this result, or whenever it is required to reinforce a certain note upon the solo instrument, l provide the usual music sheet with an auxiliary hole for each of the ordinary perforations, so that the ordinary perforation serves the purpose of controlling the primary action for the operation of the secondary action whereby the desired note is produced upon one instrument, while the auxiliary hole co-acting with the switch-over means hereinafter described, serves the purpose of controlling the primary action for the operation of the secondary action whereby the desired note is also produced upon another instrument. The ordinary perforations in the music sheet control the operation of one musical instrument, and the respective auxiliary holes serve to reinforce the respective notes on thc other instrument which is hereinafter referred to as the solo apparatus.

The accompanying drawingsl illustrate the invention as applied in a two-manual pipe organ.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view mainly diagrammatic in its nature illustrating the invention as lapplied to an automatic organ, fragments of which are shown including parts of the great organ and parts of the swell organ. The gang switch cylinder is shown in sectional elevation at the switch points for the notes E, F, F# and G, and is turned to complete the switching over means whereby the secondary actions that control the respective pipes in the swell orsecondary action of the F note on the great organ.

Fig. Q is a fragmental elevation on a reduced scale, of the F and D# primary actions in the positions shown in Fig. 1; the E primary action being in operation with and therefore hidden by the F action.

Fig. is a fragmental view analogous to Fig. 1, showing the primary actions at rest and the three-way electrical gang switch in sectional elevation at the switch points and turned to sound the great organ only.

Fig. 4 is a broken plan of a larger fragment of the perforated music sheet partly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation looking toward the right from line Fig. 1. The primary action for F il: conceals the primary action of Dit, both being at rest, and the primary action of F conceals the primary action of E, both being active.

In the several views various parts pertaining to certain notes are indicated by the symbols for such notes, respectively, either with or without other distinguishingy marks.

The symbols Dali, E, F, F# and G are thus applied and parts pertaining to those notes and some others are shown.

The two sets of sound-producing devices in Fig. 1 and alsoin Fig. 2 are marked with the words Swell organ7 and Great organ, respectively.

The instrument illustrated may be regarded as lany form of pipe organ having more or less numerous and more or less extensive solo and accompaniment sound-producing apparatuses. Fragments of only two of such apparatuses are represented, viz., the great organ 1 and swell organ 2 comprising sound-producing devices or organ stops 3, 4, respectively embracing pipes Dgtt. 5E, 5F, 5F#, of the great organ and 6E, 6F, 6F# and 6G of the swell organ.

For the purpose of this description it will be assumed that the swell organ 2 is the solo sound-producing apparatus and the great organ 1 is the accompanying sound-producing apparatus although it is understood that the reverse arrangement is equally practicable.

The actions for controllingthe sound-pro ducing devices respectively comprise electri'cal secondary actions D#7. E7, F7 and F:l:,t7` of the great organ and E8, F8, F#8 and G8 of the swell organ for the pipes oit' Y' the respective secondary actions, and primary actions D#9, E9, F9, and F#9 for respectively controlling the secondary actions.

For the purpose of this invention, each primary action may be temporarily paired with the primary action next to it on either side thereof in a way about to be described.

The primary actions shown are pneumatoelectric arranged in series, each action comprising a bellows and an electrical contact point operated thereby to Contact with a contact spring to close a circuit to operate a secondary action. The electrical contact points shown are formed as pins 1)#10, E10, F10, and F#10, and pairs of contact springs 11 and 13 for the contact points are respectively mounted upon a rail 10 which is preferably of an insulating' material.

Then umestrained, both the contact springs 11 and the contact springs 13 for any contact point or pin E10, or F10, etc., normally stand in the way of their contact points, so that contact may occur when the bellows of the primary actions are operated.

Switch-over mechanism is provided for each key oi thc manual for operation by the primary action of one note to couple a pipe of one organ with a corresponding pipe of the other organ whenever two such keys as are located next to each other are si1nultaneously depressed.

The contact springs 1)#11, E11, F11 and F#11 at one side of the contact points, D#10, E10, F10, and F#10 are connected by electrical conductors D#12, E12, F12, and F#12, with the secondary actions 1)#7, E7, 7 and F#7 of the great organ pipes 5D#, 5E, 5F and 5F# respectively; and the switch contact springs E13, F13, 1?#13 and G13 on the other side of the contact points are connected through electrical conductors E14, F14, 1*#14 and G14, and through'an electrical gang switch 15 and through branches E16, F16, 1"#16, and G16, with the secondary electrical actions E8., F8, F#8, G8 of the pipes GE. 6F, GF# and 6G of the swell organ. As shown in Fig. 3, said switch contact springs E13, F13, F#13, and G13 may also be connected by the gang switch 15 through the respec tive branches E17, F17, F#17, and G17 and the respective conductors E12, F12, F#12 and G12 with the respective secondary actions E7, F7, F.#:7 and G7 of the great organ, the last action G7 only being indicated but not shown in the drawings. By this means the organ is so constructed that by rotating the cylinder, and thus simultaneously turning the switches l15 by suitable means as a stop, not shown, the spring contacts E13, F13, etc., can be connected with the respective secondary actions of the great organ or with those of the swell organ at pleasure.

It is therefore seen. that each primary action may be selectively connected with an appropriate sound-producing device, as an organ pipe, of one or more sound-producing apparatuses as the organs 1, 2. For this purpose each two such primary actions as are located next to each other and their connections are arranged so that they may be operated simultaneously without producing discords, each primary action being provided with a rocker 18 mounted on a pivot 19 supported by apart 20 of the organ console frame. Each rocker is of insulating material, as fiber, and is provided at one end with a slot 21 for engagement with a metal conducting pin, as F10, which is shown as the contact point of one primary pneumatoelectric action. The rocker 18 is provided at the other end with a shift pin 22 of liber or other insulating material arranged between the contact springs appertaining to the next primary action and adapted to hold one or the other of such contact springs out of contact with the contact pin with which said spring normally contacts.

Preferably each rocker 18 is arranged with its slot engaging the action pin of one primary action, and its shift pin 22 is inserted between the contact springs of the action next below, and normally holds the swell organ contact spring, as F#13, out of contacting position. 1

Therefore when all the primary actions are at rest or in the positions of the actions 1)#9 and F:#:9 shown in Fig. 1, the contact points or pins 1)#10, F10, etc., of the actions hold all the rockers 18 in such position that the shift pins 22 hold retracted from contacting position all the contact springs 18 that are connected with the secondary actions of the swell organ; so that when only one primary action is operated, the contact point of such action will make contactonly with the contact spring which is connected with the great organ. lt is seen, however', that ifvany primary action, as the action F9 is operated, it will move a rocker 18 and a shift pin 22 pertaining to the contact springs of the next lower primary action, as the action E9, and thus will shift a great organ contact spring, as E11, out of contacting position and will allow a swell organ switch contact spring as F13, to come into contacting position relative to the contact point of such next primary action. Thus, if the action E9 is simultaneously operated, connection is simultaneously made through contact spring F11 and its conductor F12 to the great organ secondary action F7 and through the Contact spring F13 and conductor F14, three-way switch 15 and branch F16, with the secondary action F8 of the swell organ pipe 6F, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 fragments are shown of the keyboard 23, tracker bar 24C, the perforated music sheet 25 and the pneumatic ducts 26 leading from the ports 27, which are arranged in a single row in the tracker bar, to the pneumatic actions. The perforated sheet 25 is shown provided with holes 28, 29 which are distinguished from each other, one being round-ended and the other being square-ended. Such difference in the form of the holes 28, 29 is simply for convenience of illustration; the round-ended holes representing those ordinarily formed in perforated music sheets, and the square-ended holes representing auxiliary holes added to such music sheet for the purposes of this invention. The symbols of notes D, Dai, E, F, F# and G are applied in the drawing, where appropriate, to the holes in the music sheet, to the ports of the tracker bar and to the pneumatic tubes of the several actions, so that the notes represented by the several holes and ports can be readily traced through the respective actions to the pipes of the respective organs.

As is shown in Figs. 1 and 4l, the ordinary or round-ended holes 28 are in positions relative to the tracker-bar according to the respective notes they represent, but the auxiliary or square-ended holes 29 have iixed positions relative to the respective ordinary holes in the music sheet. Each auxiliary hole is of approximately the same length as the respective ordinary hole and is alongside thereof, and the distance between the centers of the two holes is equal to the distance between the centers of two adjacent ports 27 in the tracker-bar 211.

The notes represented by the symbols for the respective round-ended holes are in this instance played upon the great organ, while the auxiliary holes serve the purpose of reinforcing the same notes respectively upon the swell organ which has already been referred to as the solo apparatus.

In Fig. 1, there are, for example, shown three pairs of holes, each pair comprising a round-ended hole to the left, and a squareended hole to the right. During the operation of the musical instrument each hole in the two upper pairs here controls the note F although the square-ended holes register with that port in the tracker-bar which ordinarily controls the note E, and cach hole in the lowest pair controls the note Fai, although the square-ended hole therein is in longitudinal alinement with the roundended holes of the upper pairs and registers with that port in the tracker-bar which ordinarily controls the note F.

The contact points Dil-10, E10, etc., are connected in the usual way through leads 30 into the electrical circuit comprising the line 31 and source of electrical energy as the generator' 32.

Referring to Fig. 1, it is to be noted that fragments of parts of the console are viewed partly in elevation and partly in' plan as though looking from the rear toward the front of the instrument. That is to say, parts of the keys 23 of notes D#, E, F, F# and al are shown; a portion of the tracker bar 24 which includes the ports 27 for the notes D, D#, E, F, F# and G is also shown and thereon is applied a portion ofthe perforated sheet or music roll 25 having perforatious 28, 29 that are respectively in register with the ports of the notes F, E, from which the F and E pneumatic tubes respectively lead in the console to the bellows F9 and E9 of the primary actions for said notes F, E, thus sounding' the F pipes 5F and GF on the great organ and swell organ, respectively.

The auxiliary holes or perforations marked with the characters 29 may be made either independently ot the regular perforations 28 or in combination therewith as indicated at the upper portion of Fig. 4 where an orifice 33 equal in width to the two adjacent perlioiations and the bar 34 between them is shown.

In Fig. 4 the sheet is perforated for the purpose of playing a musical composition in which in this particular fragment the air to be carrie-d by the solo includes tive F notes and two F# notes.- This is indicated by the pairs of parallel equi-length round and square-ended holes 28, 29. lVhen such a musical composition is played and the music sheet 25 is travelingr over the tracker bar 21- in the direction indicated by the arrow on the music sheet, impulse from the tracker bar ports 27 is rst directed twice in succession to the primary action for the F# note and then ve times sucessively to the primary action for the F note.

yIt is understood that the corresponding pipes controlled by the stops respectively, not shown, of any organ can all be sounded at once or one or more may be sounded at a time as the various usual draw knobs or stop handles of the console, not shown, are adjusted in the usual way.

From'the foregoing it will be seen that the switch-over means for directing the impulses caused by t-he passage of the soloplaying hole 29 at E over the tracker bar simultaneously with the air playing hole 28 at F consists of a rocker 18 together with shift pin 22 which is actuated by said rocker and is adapted to release the contact spring F18 so that it will move to position for contact with pin E10, and to also remove contact spring E11 from contacting position; that is to say, Out of the Way of pin E10.

By turning the gang switch 15 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the operation of the switch-over means is such that only the great organ will be made to play the piece just as it is indicated by the round-ended holes punched in the music sheet. That is to say, assuming that the music sheet is not intended for solo and accompaniment production on the two organs, and that the operator has adjusted the gang switch to the position shown in Fig. 3, and that the sheet 25 and primary act-ions F9 and E9 are in the posit-ion shown in Fig. 1, then E10, F13, F14, F17 and F12 are connected and lead the current from E10 to the action F 7 of the great organ, while at the same time the spring E11 is removed from contact with the pin E10 by the pin 22 so that the simultaneous operation ot' the actions E7 and FT and the discord resultant from such an operation are thereby prevented.

lhen only one ot two keys located next to each other is del'n'esscd. the impulse is always transmitted to the respective secondary action of the great organ independent ot the gang switch 15. For example, it' the gang switch is in the position Jfor transmitting the electric current to the swell organ, as shown in Fig. 1, and the action E9 with the pin E10 is in operative position, as shown by dots and dashes in Fig. El, the current can not pass through the spring F13, the conductor F14, the gang switch 15 and the branch F10 to the secondary action F8 of the swell organ, because the primary action F9, being at rest, forces the spring F13 away from the pin E10 by means of the pm 22 on the rocker 18 which is operated by the action F9. Therefore, the circuit beingclosed by the pin E10, the spring E11 and the conductor E12 the current is led to the secondary action Er of the great organ.

It is thus seen that, when the music sheet is provided with only the ordinary perforations, only one instrument is played, but when the auxiliary holes are added to the sheet, the impulse is transmitted either to both instruments or only to one, according to the position of the gang switch. so that it is possible to play the full harmony upon one organ, or at the pleasure of the operator, to play correctly a musical composition writtenr for solo on one instrument and lor accompaniment on another instrument.

It is understood that although electromagnetic secondary actions are shown, and the apparatus is represented as operated b v pneumatic and electrical means, this is merely a preferred form and is not intended to exclude other specific forms of actions from the application ot the principle of this invention.

I claim z- 1. 1n combination, a solo sound-producer and an accompaniment sound-producer; secondary actions for respectively operating the sound-lnoducers; connections leading to the respective secondary actions; switchover means; and a series ot primary actions in which the simultaneous operation of two such primary actions as are located next to each other co-acts with the respective switch-over means for closing` the connections so that a secondary action of one sound-producer is selectively operated simultaneously with a corresponding secondary action of the other sound-producer.

2. In an automatic organ, the combination with sound-producers, of secondary actions for respectively operating the sound-producers; electrical connections leading to the respective secondary actions; a source of electrical energy; electrical contact means for selectively connecting said source with the secondary actions; switch-over mechanism; and a series of primary actions in which the simultaneous operation of two such primary actions as are located next to each other co-acts with the switch-over mechanism for closing the electrical contact means so that a secondary action of one sound-producer is selectively operated simultaneously with a corresponding secondary action of the other sound-producer.

3. In an automatic player comprising different apparatuses, the combination with a tracker-bar and pneumatic tubes, of a series of pneumatic actions operated by air through the tubes; sound-producers; electrical secondary actions for operating 'the sound-producers; a contact point movable with each of the pneumatic actions; a source of electrical energy connected with the contact points; contact springs normally adapted to be in positions for contact with the contact points, there being a pair of such springs for each contact point; electrical conductors leading to the respective secondary actions from the contact springs, each pair of springs being respectively connected with the secondary actions in the different apparatuses; a rocker pivoted between each two adjacent pneumatic actions, respective contact points and respective pairs of springs, each rocker being operated by the adjacent pneumatic action at one end thereof, and provided with a shift pin between the springs of the adjacent pair at the other end for alternately holding one spring out of, while the other spring is in, contacting position; and a perforated music sheet traveling over the tracker-bar and having holes to register with the ports of the tracker-bar for the actuation of the pneumatic actions.

4L. In combination, sound-producers of two different apparatuses; secondary actions for the sound-producers; a tracker-bar having a single row of ports; primary actions operated by fluid passing through said ports; switch-over means adapted to co-act with the operation of the primary actions; and connections controlled by the switchover means and the simultaneous movement of two such primary actions as are located next to each other to actuate only one selective secondary action in one apparatus or to actuate simultaneously a selected secondary action in one apparatus and a corresponding secondary action in the other apparatus.

5. The combination with two sound-producing apparatuses, of secondary actions for said sound-producing apparatuses; primary actions; means to selectively operate the primary actions singly or simultaneously; selective connecting means between each primary action and like secondary actions of both sound -producing apparatuses, and switch-over means co-acting with the primary actions respectively, to control the impulse of two such primary actions as are located next to each other; so that a secondary action of one apparatus is actuated instead of a. corresponding secondary action of another apparatus.

6. In combination, sound-producers of two different apparatuses; secondary actions for the sound-producers; a tracker-bar having a single row of ports; a perforated music sheet traveling over the tracker-bar and having auxiliary holes in fixed relation to and of the same length and width as the ordinary perforations, there being one auxiliary hole for each of the ordinary perforations, and the auxiliary hole registering with a port in the tracker-bar adjacent to the port -with which the selected perforation registers; primary actions operated by fluid passing through said ports; switch-over means adapted to co-act with the operation of the primary actions; electrical connections leading to the secondary actions; and selective switch means for completing the circuits from the primary actions to the secondary actions respectively, so that the simultaneous movement of two adjacent primary actions caused by the luids passing through an ordinary perforation and its respective auxliarv hole in the music sheet will actuate only one selected secondary action in one apparatus or will actuate simultaneously a selected secondary action in one apparatus and a correspondingv secondary action in the other apparatus.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 6th day of September, 1913.

CLARENCE E. HALDEMAN.

In presence of- JAMES R. TowNsEND, L. BELLE WEAVER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. C." 

